


Stranger Things Than Strangers

by fractionallyfoxtrot



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, Wrong number
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-15 09:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4601268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fractionallyfoxtrot/pseuds/fractionallyfoxtrot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur calls Leon to complain about a horrible meeting with his father. At least, he thought he called Leon</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stranger Things Than Strangers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tracionn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tracionn/gifts).



Arthur stormed out the building, hastily fishing through his pockets for his mobile. It took him a few tries and almost tearing off his coat in a fit of anger before he finally found it in an inner pocket of his suit jacket. Arthur thumbed through the lock screen and then cursed loudly when he remembered that his contacts hadn’t been synced with his new phone. He jabbed numbers into the on-screen keypad, grumbling to himself about the tech at the wireless store, and began talking as soon as the call connected.

“He’s doing it _again_ , Leon,” Arthur growled, pushing his free hand through his hair. “He called me in this morning for a quote, unquote ‘strategy meeting’ and guess who was there when I walked into the conference room? Mithian!”

Arthur paced on the pavement, clenching and unclenching his hand at every turn.

“She didn’t even know!” he shouted. “He brought her in under false pretenses too! He started asking about why we broke up and if there was any chance of us getting back together because, as if any of us could forget, the match is so lucrative for both Camelot and Nemeth.”

Arthur looked up at the building’s ornate facade, boldly emblazoned with his family’s crest, the veritable seat of his father’s corporate kingdom.

“I’ve told him. She’s told him. We’ve both told him time and time again that we don’t want to be together but he just doesn’t listen. It doesn’t matter that Mithian’s perfectly happy with Richard. It doesn’t matter that I’m gay.” Arthur lifted his chin, addressing the building and, in a vain attempt, his father. “I, Arthur Pendragon, am _gay_ and yet my father continues to ask why I have no interest in being in a relationship with Mithian or any of the other women he’s constantly pushing in my direction!”

Arthur stopped to catch his breath. He could feel his anger tempering, much of it escaping on his rant. He pushed his hand through his hair again, sighing as he turned toward his car.

“You know, if he keeps ignoring the fact that I’m gay, I’m very tempted to bring a man as my date to the Camelot benefactors’ dinner.”

“You should.”

Arthur nearly dropped his mobile at the unexpected response. Not because Leon would usually advise caution and diplomacy but because the person that spoke was _not_ Leon.

“Who is this?” Arthur demanded.

“Sorry, I, I didn’t know if…” the unidentified voice stammered. He, Arthur assumed, took a breath and then said, “My name is Merlin. I think you dialed the wrong number and called me by mistake, especially since you thought you were talking to someone named Leon.”

Arthur cringed, pressing his free hand to his face as he replayed the last few minutes of ranting in his mind. He’d only said those things because he thought he was talking to his best mate, not a total stranger.

A total stranger who knew Arthur hadn’t meant to call him.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked, annoyed that he’d shouted his full name and sexuality at a total stranger.

“You never gave me a chance!” the man named Merlin argued. “From the moment I answered, there was never a second for me to talk. It wasn’t a conversation; it was a one-man show.”

Arthur rolled his eyes at the exaggeration. “You could’ve hung up,” he pointed out.

“Yeah,” Merlin agreed weakly. “I thought about it but you sounded like you really needed someone to talk to. I… I didn’t want you to think no one was listening.”

Arthur came to a stop in front of his car and just stood there for a moment. He was too stunned to speak. He was used to being listened to for many reasons, most of them involving wealth, power, or obligation. Very few people listened to him by choice, even less did it for him and not themselves.

It was a kindness Arthur never expected from a total stranger.

“Thank you,” he managed after a few minutes.

“You’re welcome.”

Arthur pulled out his car keys and unlocked the car, unsure as to how the rest of this unorthodox phone call was meant to proceed.

“For what it’s worth,” Merlin added, relieving Arthur of coming up with something to say, “I think you should take a man as your date to that dinner. I assume it’s important to your father?”

“Very,” Arthur confirmed, getting into the car.

“And that he’ll be there?”

“At the head of the table.”

“I doubt he could ignore you and a man together at an event like that.”

Arthur glanced out the window at the building that stood unmoved by his earlier outburst. He laughed but it was humorless.

“You’ve never met my father,” he muttered.

“I’m not sure I’d want to,” Merlin replied without missing a beat.

Arthur laughed again but this time it was warm with actual amusement and the smile lingered on his face.

“I can’t recommend it,” he said, shaking his head. “Still, it’s a good idea. I just need someone to bring. Do you know any single gay men who’d be free a week from Friday?”

It was a brash, forward, and presumptuous thing to ask but nothing about Arthur’s interaction with Merlin so far had been typical, making the usual social norms seem inapplicable to the situation. Besides, nothing ventured, nothing gained. The worst that could happen was that a total stranger, who Arthur had never seen and never even spoken to before five minutes ago, would turn down his invitation to a company dinner to meet his very obstinate father.

No one in the world, not even Arthur, would blame Merlin for saying ‘no’ to that.

Had he said ‘no.’

“I know at least one,” Merlin said, surprising Arthur by not immediately turning him down, “but I wouldn’t know what to wear.”

Arthur smiled as he sat back in his seat.

“Do you own a tux, Merlin?”


End file.
